The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-17
A Story of Montana Miners.
From, the Chicago Mai

81 met" said Mr.. Luther Latin Mills, "a
Mr.. Davis in Butte He is the traffic man
ager of the Northern Pacific road, and he
told me fine story characteristic of those
big hearted miners. Mr.. Davis had taken
his aged father and mother up into the
heights of one of the mountains that shadow
Butte. 1t was fifteen miles distant. While
they We're camping there a snow storm
swept upon them, and the sudden change
caused Mr.. Davis father to suffer from an
attack of paralysis. The old gentleman was
helpless, aud his son was perplexed. He
was fifteen miles from civilization and
had no conveyance to reach it. He hap
pened to remember that not far
away on the mountain side
was a camp of miners He walked to the
camp and found them there just sitting
down after their meal to a game of cards.
He apologized for intruding upon them, and
said: Boys, | am in trouble. The ards
fell out of their hands, and they were on
their feet ready for his relief. He told
them his story. Well, stranger said the
leader, well git the old man down the
mountain safe and sound, but you'll have
to git the old woman down the best you
can, cause, you know, we amt ust to
handlin' women, are we boysp And at the
mention of a wOmans name the speakers
hard hand went up to his eyes, but in a
second he recovered and said to Mr.. Davis:
You lead the way and We'll foller.'
"They toiled up the mountain until they
came to the hut where the old people were
housed. At the sight of the lady the miners,
seven of them, punched themselves just as
a lot of freight cars that come to a sudden
halt. Every hat was off. Having made
their bows they gathered about the o,dman
and looked upon him, as they folded their
hands, as if he were dead Then they
wrapped him in blankets and picked him up,
,A,,
picking out the smooth places, never saying
a word. Mr.. Davis followed with his
mother When they reached the level and
the old man had been laid upon his bed, Mr..
Davis took the miners to one side and said:
Men here is roll Of bills-all have-take
it, no matter how much it may be-
"The old miner who mad done all the talk
ing for the crowd took off his hat and spoke:
why, we thought you knowed u.s.
81 do know you said Davis
"'But we thought you knowed us well.
No, stranger, put herup. Why, we wouldn't
a-et that old man suffer up thar a minnit.
Would we, boysN And they all raised their
hats Easy, boys, said the speaker And
they shouted, but it was a soft and low
shout, which brought tears to Davis eyes
Equally characteristic, but of different
type, is the following story of these miners
of Montana. 1t was told Mr.. Mills by John
Magruder, who owns "belt linen of theatres
in the West, with headquarters at Butte.
Before the present theatre was completed a
lady came to Butte as a Shakespearian
reader. She was billed to give Romeo and
Juliet" The auditorium was a rough shed,
which held about 500 people. The stage
was in keeping with.the house. The lady
had with her wire dummy, such as are
used in retail stores upon which to exhibit
garments She had this dummy dressed up
as Romeo" and spoke the lines of Juliet"
to the figure Then by some TRANSITIONAL
ton the figure changed to Juliet" and the
recitations of Romeo were given by the
lady. The 500 rough miners had never seen
anything like this before. They sat before
the readings dumbfounded.
When the recitation was over and the
''garish lights had fed, and the lady and
her manager had gone to their hotels, the
miners went into the shed (theatre) and took
the wire dunmy--it was dressed as Romeo
from the stage. They carted it about
town all night, and into the saloons, bought
it whisky BY the gallon, poured it down its
wire throttle, shook it up and down, danced
with it, and fairly howled. They returned
il to the theatre somewhat worsted, and
left it on the stage. The following evening
the lady was to repeat her programme.
When She beheld the sorry plight of her
"Romeo" she burst into tears and couldn't
speak. One of them, seeing the lady's grief,
stood UP in his chair and made the following
speech "Boys, last night we got Romeo
drunk. We had fun with him and a good
time"
Then turning to the lady he said: But
mum, we didn't mean TO hurt your feelins,
pom honor we didn't mum. We amt the
men to hurt no woman that comes to this
camp, and we're sorry for you. Now, boys,
/ propose to pass the hat to buy this lady a
new Romeo Let every man chip in"
He passed the hat himself, and when he
lars counted out
You take this num-" said the speaker,
and buy you a new one and you won't feel
hurt at us, mum; will you, for we didn't
,,ean IN hurt vour feelinisn